Exploring the Titanic
by Xboxplayer-12
Summary: I wrote this as homework for school awhile back and decided to upload it. It tells the story of three divers in 2019 exploring the Titanic and being the first to step aboard since the sinking. Once you see the ending in chapter 2 you'll enjoy it :) Hope you enjoy! And PLEASE NOTE: This story is all fictional and there is no way anyone could survive even close to Titanic's dept.


April 10th, 2019, North Atlantic Ocean

Diving expedition to RMS Titanic wreck.

Examining deterioration of wreckage.

I am now certain that the expedition is to be cancelled. Titanic and maritime historians all over the U.S and UK have protested a diving expedition to the wreckage of the Titanic. Since the last expedition to Titanic in 2012, the ship is estimated to have deteriorated severely. Photographic evidence from 2015 draws maritime historians to the conclusion that the ship has no more than 30 years before collapsing on the ocean floor.

And if the expedition is allowed, then what? The chances that we would cut the Titanic's lifespan by a decade (or destroy the ship instantly) are considerable. If so, the blame would be on us, me and the other divers. Human presence has been unheard of since the final moments before disappearing on April 15th 1912. For all we know, the ship would fall apart beneath us if we so much as tapped the side of the hull.

I paused, thinking to write more, then put the book down and closed it. But I finished the rest in my head: Titanic is also in danger of illegal salvage. Numerous artifacts from the debris field have disappeared and turned up on black markets.

"All divers report above deck for diving preparation" came over the ship's loudspeaker. That was my cue. I got off my bed, left my stateroom, and walked towards the staircase at the end of the hallway. That was the advantage of being on one of the top decks of the ship. You could always make sure you were on-deck when needed.

The Diving Deck (as it was commonly referred to) was bustling with activity. Two large submersibles were being lowered into the water by davits. The recently-tested subs would be able to hold an entire bridge crew if necessary. They would also allow us to be released into the water, that way, with no increasing water pressure when we dived (as well as saving time) we would be guaranteed to reach the wreckage. Getting inside the ship wasn't a problem either. There were multiple stairways on the boat deck (or what was left of it) that would allow us access to the ship. Then it was exploring the ship and getting out within two hours that would be the hard part. The bow section made up about 73% of the ship, so it was still easy to get lost. Plus, we had to be careful not to damage the ship even more.

Ryan Murdoch walked up to me and asked "Are you ready?".

I nodded. Ryan went to assemble the other divers.

Ryan Murdoch, son of First Officer William Murdoch, was aged over 100, but was surprisingly healthy. He looked and acted like he was really 70 or 65. Amazing, some people were.

I was one of three divers, but only one of them was highly skilled. James, my brother, was a HUGE Titanic fanboy and knew everything, and I do mean everything, about the sinking, layout, construction and even conspiracy theories. If there was one person in this world who was ready for anything, it was him.

Ritchie, on the other hand, had been an experience diver for decades. Back in 2006, he and his fellow diver John narrowly escaped with their lives while exploring Titanic's sister, the Britannic. John had kicked up mud and dirt in a boiler room and was practically blind. And without Ritchie he would have surely died. As for me, I was also a trained diver, and I had also dived to the Britannic, which was, and is, further down than normal diving standards.

We were ready, and with the help of diving equipment so strong we would be able to LIVE on the ocean floor, we would be the first (and possibly only) men to step on board Titanic since 1912.

"Ok everyone! It's show time! Divers, get the last of your gear on and get into that sub! Everyone else, clear the deck! We're launching in five!" Ryan Murdoch was back with a megaphone. 100 years of aging had taken it's toll to some degree.

I met with Ritchie and James, who both asked "You ok Josh? You look a bit pale". I nodded. "I'm fine guys. Just worry about stopping your head from caving in". I ran off to get prepped before they could work THAT one out.

I probably did look pale though. Titanic was over two miles down and extremely dangerous. The ship was in bad shape and probably didn't have more than a few years left. Even by Britannic's standards, this was way further than anyone had ever dived before. We could all be dead in an hour or two.

But it was worth it. Simply seeing the Titanic's bow just meters way through glass was exciting. Actually stepping aboard was almost impossible to comprehend.

"All divers on deck!" came Ryan's voice over the loudspeaker. I went back on deck, climbed over the railing and into the partially-launched submersible.

Three times the size of one of Titanic's lifeboats, it was practically a tiny cabin underwater. It was stocked with emergency supplies and earth-shattering equipment AND housed a chamber that would allow us to exit into the water.

This is it guys," I said, closing the hatch, "Ready to make history?".

"That was rhetorical right?" asked Ritchie with a grin.

I scoffed, and it was serious. "Honestly Ritchie, you nearly died diving Britannic. You should have wet yourself by now. Ten years ago your head would have caved in at two miles down. For crying out loud the water pressure destroyed half the ship".

"Yeah, but this is not 2009, this is 20-freaking-19" Ritchie retorted. James burst out laughing. Ritchie just wouldn't grow up. How he hadn't been quiet for life after Britannic was beyond me.

"All right guys. We're diving. Oh, and make sure you have some empty bottles. We'll be down here for 12 hours" one of the tech guys said.

"And don't forget about decompression," said another tech guy with a disturbing laugh, "You do NOT wanna have an accident during decompression".

James roared with laughter once again, but Ritchie and I cringed. While we were both making obscene hand gestures at the tech guys, the sub was already half way to the seabed. Another technological breakthrough.

An hour later, a tech guy who had gotten the "hand gestures" said "Ok guys, 11,900 feet".

We were now just 600 feet from the wreck. We would set down next to the bow and deploy onto the front of the ship. We would grab on to the railing and pull ourselves onto the deck. Then we would hover over the ship, entering from the boat deck.

A full minute later, the tech guy called "We got visual contact".

We nearly ran to the circular window. There, just a few feet away, was the bow of the Titanic, rusting but largely intact.

"Wow" I said aloud. I had seen the bow before, but it never failed to take my breath away.

"If this is exciting, I may wet myself" James grinned.

"I already did" replied Ritchie.

"OK people, get ready for deployment" the tech guy called.

We filed into the chamber, some sweat pouring down our foreheads. We knew we were safe, but it would still be scary.

"Everything's ready guys. Good luck out there" the tech guy informed them.

We nodded. The tech guy sealed the door, and we waited.

The tech guy's voice came over the loudspeaker.  
"Ok guys, flooding the chamber in five, four, three, two, one!".

freezing water gushed in as the hatch opened, flooding the chamber in a second. We wasted no time, swimming in single file into the dark, cold North Atlantic Ocean.


End file.
